Response to MyU pop-up notification concerns

Dear students,

Some of you may have noticed a pop-up notification in the last couple days that appears on the MyU portal for students. The pop-up requires students to acknowledge information about COVID-19 and its risks before they can proceed to course materials and other information on the MyU portal.

I have heard your concerns about this new notification and in response, I first want to recognize that we are all under a great deal of stress and I apologize that you didn't receive earlier communication about this pop-up acknowledgement before many of you saw it firsthand in MyU.

I want to emphasize this as strongly as I can—this pop-up acknowledgement is not a waiver of your legal rights. Instead, it is a way for us to be clear about the University’s expectations and intentions. By clicking on it, you are simply confirming that you understand COVID-19 is present in almost every community across the country and that you are aware that the University is doing everything it can to make its campus communities as safe as possible, but still cannot completely prevent COVID-19 transmission. By clicking the acknowledgement, you also confirm that you understand that the manner in which your coursework is delivered may change during the semester as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar pop-ups have appeared in previous years and asked students to acknowledge information about the upcoming semester. This year’s is different, of course, in light of the additional information related to COVID-19.

We are all dealing with unique circumstances during the pandemic, and we understand not every element of this acknowledgment will apply to every student. If you receive a scholarship or have a tuition waiver for any reason, elements of the acknowledgment do not apply to you. We understand that this can be confusing, but it is impossible to tailor this acknowledgement to the unique circumstances of each student. If you have questions about your tuition or fees payments, as always, please contact the One Stop or Student Services office on your campus.

Thank you for reaching out with your comments. This was never intended to be disruptive or add stress to your lives, and I regret that either of those may have happened. Similar to past pop-up acknowledgements, this is an important opportunity for all of us to acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead and how we all have a responsibility to commit ourselves to a safe, productive semester.

Thank you,

Rachel T.A. Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost

email sent to all students on the Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Twin Cities campuses on August 26, 2020